The service life of a pleated filter is often dictated by the accessible surface area. Conventional pleated filters may offer a large gross surface area, but when the media is packed too tightly into the cartridge, only part of the surface area is usable resulting in both flow restrictions and limited contaminant holding capacity. The "blind" or unusable area commonly occurs near the inside diameter where the pleats are packed most tightly. The Betafine PPG and PTG series filter is manufactured using a staggered pleat configuration that, when combined with a novel support material, provides more open space between the pleats.

The APT staggered pleats with increased open area allow for greater contaminant loading between pleats at the inside diameter, while the reduced length pleats take advantage of existing open space closer to the filter's outside diameter. The result is a fully used surface area that provides superior service life.